Gen X Memory Lane: Whatever Happened To Your Walkman?

This little dazzler meant you could actually walk down the street, the gravel road, the dirt path...anywhere!..and bring your favorite music right along with you. Oh yeah, them older folks had transistor radio's, but this was stylin' and the latest and greatest!

Pop in a cassette (you younger folk are asking 'what the heck is a cassette'?) and shake your booty as you walked around the neighborhood. I mean really and truly, it can't get any better than this!

Introduced in the U.S. in 1980, every kid wanted one and every mom and dad said 'How much??'. How much was right around $150.00 at first and them stodgy old parents thought that was a, uh, tidy sum of money. But they sold. And sold. And sold.

Featuring stereo playback, a headphone jack (or two) and what would now be considered 'bulky' buttons, the Walkman was all the rage.

Of course, the Walkman had to keep up with the times, so before too long we had the Walkman Professional, the CD Walkman, the Video Walkman, the Mini-Disc Walkman, the Network Walkman and so on.

But to be a true Gen X Walkman nut, it has to be the original, the Granddaddy. The cassette Walkman.